Health Minister accused of hoodwinking people
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella on Monday (15) falsely had declared that the State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) had begun the manufacture of new medicines, omperozole 20mg, levothyroxine 50mg, President of the College of Medical Laboratory Science (CMLS), Ravi Kumudesh said yesterday.
“The Minister made this statement at an event purportedly to launch those medicines. It is important to start producing medicines locally. However, I would like to point out that the SPC has in fact been manufacturing and distributing them for sometime. The SPC already distributes these drugs through the medical supplies division. The Minister of Health you have tried to, knowingly or unknowingly, hoodwink the people,” he said.
Kumudesh said that the Chairman of the SPC had done nothing to encourage the manufacture of drugs during his tenure. Instead of taking steps to promote the local manufacture of drugs, the health officials continued to ignore the current health crisis, he said.
“The SPC has been manufacturing Omperozole 20mg, which decreases stomach acid, and levothyroxine
50mg that replaces a hormone normally produced by the thyroid gland to regulate the body’s energy and metabolism. The SPC has been producing Omperozole since February 2020. The then Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi was the chief guest at an event to launch the drug. Levothyroxine has been produced since April 2020. Then state minister of health Channa Jayasumana was the chief guest at an event to launch the drug,” he said.
Kumudesh added that the two drugs were now used in almost all hospitals. The current shortage of medicines had to be addressed in the long term and health officials must come up with a plan to increase manufacturing of drugs locally. He alleged, “The manufacture of drugs locally was discouraged during the tenure of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. No new company was allowed to start production here. Officials can make money when drugs are imported and about 30 companies which were ready to invest in Sri Lanka were discouraged during the past three years.”
